Gook: John McCain's Racism and Why It Matters

[Ashy Larry]

Run time: 03:35 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6iqLcidbhg   Posted on YouTube: July 22, 2008 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: July 23, 2008 By DU Member: Ashy Larry Views on DU: 1138

 

[King Coal]

1. I know a lot of vets who use that term, it is dying down, but slowly.

McCain can be thrashed for much worse than that. It, to me, is like 'jap' or 'jerry', and is not like 'nigger' at all. 'Charlie', 'dink', 'gook', are all terms that soldiers used for the people they were out to kill. It bothers me more that Granpa says he will always hate them than when he uses the term 'gook'. But, I wasn't tortured by them either. Nor did I drop napalm on their civilians. 'War' is much worse than 'gook' in my book.

[iamthebandfanman]

2. id never call a japanese person

a jap.
but thats just me.

[rebel with a cause]

4. All of these words are racist terms.

Try being an Asian American kid and be called these names every day by the other kids that do not treat you very good. Be a Latin American kid that is called "taco", "tortilla", "greaser", "wet back", and the "N" word. These names have no place being used by anyone in this day and time, and if you have any empathy you will see that.

As a small child I sang the song "We're going to have to slap that dirty little Jap" because I was born in the year WWII ended, but I would not think of singing such a thing now. Then was then and now is now. I have learned and changed, hopefully others have to or will do so.

[King Coal]

6. We agree. Then was then, and now is now. I do have empathy, for both sides. Time heals.

[King Coal]

7. 'Gringo'............

Oh, you forgot 'spic'. And the worst of the worst 'dirty mexican'. Been there, went to the snack bar.

[rebel with a cause]

9. Yeah, my kids were not here to remind me of them all.

There are just too many of them aimed at too many groups of Latinos and they all get mixed together. The funny thing is that racist don't know/care enough to get the group and insult matched up. The Mexican insults are just stupid when they are aimed at Puerto Ricans and Dominicans.

Glad to hear you have empathy and wonder where you have been when you say "been there". I was called a 'American Gringa' and spit at in the Dominican Republic but it really didn't bother me that much. I was called 'cracker' and other names on the streets of NYC, and it didn't bother me or hurt my self esteem. But when my children were called racist names and harrassed by the white townspeople where we lived, that bothered me and that hurt their self esteem.

[Quantess]

8. Immediately following the Vietnam war, it is understandable that

the term "gook" was still being bandied about in conversation.

But John McCain apparently kept on using the offensive word, in public, until at least 2000, I believe the speaker said.

I'm 37 years old, and although I remember overhearing people (presumably vets) use the word "gook" a few times as a child, I don't think I overheard anyone say it after, say, 1982 or so. Everyone I knew got over it. This is 2008 now.

Politicians, of all people, are held to a higher standard of social acceptability than anyone else, and they should know that some things you just shouldn't say.

[rosesaylavee]

3. K & R

I don't care what the racist term is and g--- is as offensive in the same way as n-----, someone aspiring to become the leader of the free world should just be above this despicable behavior. Just because our current resident has lowered the bar doesn't mean it need continue with McCain.

Enough.

[enough]

5. A very interesting and powerful presentation.

Ties John McCain's small-minded viciousness to a very large global issue and a long history. All in about 3 minutes. Well done.

[Caliman73]

10. Dehumaizing terms

The beauty of the presentation is the simplicity of the message. It strikes at a larger attitude expressed mainly by the leaders within the dominant culture (whites) but felt by many in this country. We dehumanize what we dislike or fear so that we can discount them or worse, destroy them. My father fought in the Vietnam War but I have never heard him say or heard of him using that term to describe the people he was sent to fight/kill. He even chastised me for using the term upon hearing in one of the many Vietnam movies around when I was growing up. I can't imagine what McCain went through in captivity, but to continue to hold such hatred for a people is not a trait we want in our president.

The issue of race should not be an issue in the country that calls itself the leader of the "free world", but it is. It continues to be so because people like McCain continue to hold on to hatred and fear. They pander to the insecurities we face and give us the "right" to continue to hate and dehumanize others so that we can take their resources and their lives. We need a different kind of thinking in this nation.